


Passing the Days Away

by rogueshadows



Series: Something Along the Rise [2]
Category: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016), Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: Aftermath - Chuck Wendig, The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Developing Relationship, Domestic, Flirting, Getting to Know Each Other, M/M, Pining, Small Towns
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-28
Updated: 2020-12-28
Packaged: 2021-03-11 00:27:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,520
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28376172
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rogueshadows/pseuds/rogueshadows
Summary: Bodhi and Cobb getting to know each other better.
Relationships: Bodhi Rook/Cobb Vanth
Series: Something Along the Rise [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2078241
Comments: 10
Kudos: 24





	Passing the Days Away

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to ANTchan for beta'ing this mess and to anyone who read the previous installment! ♥ Title from 'Kids' by Orville Peck.

Bodhi had only expected to spend a night or two at Cobb’s, just long enough to find work and figure out if there was really a place for him in Mos Pelgo. Instead, he’s spent three weeks there, with no sign of Cobb wanting him to move on. Cobb, who Bodhi can’t help but share some spark for, with his easy smiles and silvery dark hair. What was even harder to ignore was how kind the man was, to seemingly everyone, and how much of himself he so clearly put on the line to protect the settlement. His pride in his work, as marshal and even begrudgingly as de-facto mayor, was admirable in a way that Bodhi couldn’t help feeling drawn to. 

Cobb was steady in all the ways Bodhi wished he might be himself someday. Bodhi had thought their meeting must be too good to be true, that it’d end as just some short-lived infatuation or conquest, as Bodhi himself had so embarrassingly implied. But whatever it is between them, Cobb doesn’t seem to be in a rush. Bodhi appreciates it, taking his time to get to know the man and sharing small parts of his own past in turn, as absurd as it feels to be living under the same roof the whole while. 

The spare room Cobb offered Bodhi freely is more than he’d expected, with a bed and old trunk for his meager belongings, set underground so as not to overheat. The space is small but nowhere close to as claustrophobic as some of the barracks Bodhi's stayed in over the years, feeling far closer to the humble abode he’d grown up in. He becomes accustomed to it quickly, sleeping better through the night than he usually would alone, comforted by the fact that Cobb is just on the other side of the wall.

Sorting out what to do with himself is still a priority, no matter how fast time has gotten away from him these past few weeks, picking up day work when he’s not shadowing Cobb on his patrols. Using his hands, to mend fences and help keep a few of the local vaporators up and running, has suited Bodhi well, as has the chance to meet new people. Still, there are times when Bodhi finds himself unwilling to leave Cobb, days where Bodhi finds himself glad to selfishly bask in the man’s attention while he has it. 

Climbing out of his bed and stretching, Bodhi isn’t certain what sort of day it’ll be yet, but he’s excited to find out. This morning like many others, Bodhi follows the routine they’ve fallen into, a sort of game to see who can get up and make breakfast first. It’s absurd and domestic and since Cobb refuses to accept any credits for rent, it’s the least Bodhi feels he can do to take care of them both. Bodhi sneaks out of his room, down the hall and into the kitchen, only to see Cobb’s beaten him to it this time. Cobb looks up from the cooking burner and grins. 

“Morning starshine,” Cobb teases, sounding smug.

“It’s barely past dawn, you know you _could_ actually sleep in sometime.”

“You know that goes both ways,” Cobb says. “Besides, seeing how riled it gets you is too fun. As I’ve said before, you know I can handle breakfast.”

“You shouldn’t have to though, shouldn’t that be a perk of letting out a room for free to a stranger?” Bodhi asks, shaking his head. It’s a conversation they’ve bantered back and forth over for weeks, one he’s not willing to give in on completely. No matter how much he loves the way Cobb cooks bantha-butter flatcakes. Cobb is already plating them, and Bodhi can’t deny how good they look, even better with Cobb; still rumpled by sleep and impossibly gorgeous, pushing the plate Bodhi’s way across the counter. 

Bodhi accepts it and can’t even pretend to be begrudging about it, wondering if it would be cheating to disable Cobb’s chrono alarm to return the favor, just once. Cobb comes around to sit on the stool beside him, clearly pleased with himself as Bodhi digs in. 

Aware of the fact that they’re both still just waking up, even if Cobb had managed to beat him to it by a bit, they enjoy each other’s company in companionable silence as they eat. It doesn’t take long, with the thin cakes more filling than they might seem. Bodhi washes them down with caf, worlds better than any he’d ever had on a rebel base, already feeling more awake and ready to start his day.

“Thank you for that, it was perfect,” Bodhi says to Cobb pointedly afterward, clearing the plates for them both and taking them to the sink to rinse. Cobb joins him, leaning against the counter while the caf distiller gets going on another cup for them both.

“You don’t have to thank me every time,” Cobb says. “Glad to not just be making them for myself.” 

“I’m glad too,” Bodhi says, “and that’s why I’ll always say it.”

“And because you’re stubborn,” Cobb insists gently. Bodhi hums noncommittally, nudging Cobb over slightly so he can reach the sweetener in the cabinet, adding a teaspoon of it to Cobb’s mug even though he prefers his own without it. “Any idea what you’ll be up to today?” 

“Nothing in particular, I told Mar to comm if he decides he needs a second pair of hands on his latest repair job but other than that I haven’t made any promises. Did you have something in mind?” 

Cobb shrugs, filling Bodhi’s mug first and then his own. “Maybe, might just have to keep it a surprise.”

Bodhi sees through the charm, but finds he doesn’t mind it one bit. “You don’t have any plans either, do you?”

“Well, I am a man of the people, you know. I’ll have to check in and see where I’m needed. That goes for you too, if you think of any requests just let me know.”

“Mhm,” Bodhi takes a sip of his caf to hide his smile. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

Cobb grins his way and maybe Bodhi _can_ think of a few requests, ones he's definitely not planning to give voice to any time soon. Once they’ve both had their fair share of the warm caf they go their separate ways to get ready for the day. Bodhi takes a quick sonic shower, trying his best to keep it quick and not tie up the refresher. He dresses just as swiftly, in one of the thin linen shirts Cobb had lent him when he realized none of Bodhi’s own were appropriate for the heat of twin suns. Bodhi tries not to linger on the intimacy of the gesture, knowing it’s probably absurd to even think of it that way after years of sharing clothes with others in the rebellion. It was practical and it was kind, like so many of the other things Cobb did for him without expectation of anything in return.

To repay that kindness, Bodhi decides to stick close for the day, to try and make himself useful in whatever unobtrusive way Cobb might allow. It makes for a quiet morning, setting out for the makeshift office where Cobb fields the settlers’ concerns and occasional disputes. The office is set between the cantina and the local outfitters, open to anyone in town whenever Cobb is between patrols. Half the morning is spent with people just poking in to wish the marshal well, or as they’ve taken to recently, to tell Bodhi about how glad they are to see that he’s settling in alright. Ada had already found him there a few times the week before, sneaking off while her mother shopped in the marketplace just to say hello. Some days were harder, with livestock going wandering and one particularly rowdy argument at the cantina calling for Cobb’s interference, but overall, it’s a life Bodhi doesn’t dread the thought of getting used to. 

In the lull between visitors today Bodhi delights in playing sabacc with Cobb, gifting the old deck he’d had packed away with his things to Cobb outright just to keep it in the office. As he had with Peli back at the spaceport, Bodhi goes easy enough on Cobb at the start, especially since they're not bidding over anything. It's only when Cobb starts to tease him for how evenly matched they appear, that Bodhi can't resist showing off a bit, outfoxing Cobb over the course of the next three hands. With Bodhi’s third win laid out, Cobb flops his own cards down on the desk, looking impressed and incredulous all at once.

“You _sure_ you’re not running from someone you swindled at cards with your sweet and innocent act?”

Bodhi laughs, about to snark back when the sliding of the door interrupts, signaling another visitor. The man isn’t familiar to Bodhi but he shoots him a pleasant smile, all the same, moving to stand from his place across from Cobb to offer up the seat. 

The man holds up a hand, stalling Bodhi. “Oh, no need to get up. Just a slight issue at hand, nothing that requires much counsel.”

“Hey Ress, not sure if you’ve met my… Bodhi.” Bodhi waves a bit awkwardly upon introduction and the man nods his way in return, just as politely.

“Pleasure to meet you, I’ve heard all about you from well, near about _everyone_ , I suppose. Glad the marshal here finally found someone to put up with him.” Ress speaks as if the relationship between them is a foregone conclusion. Bodhi shoots a glance Cobb’s way, smothering a smile at the noticeable flush on Cobb’s face. Bodhi clears his throat, realizing he should probably respond to Ress.

“Uh, I’m glad too. I think,” Bodhi starts, unsure of what more can be said when Cobb thankfully cuts in. 

“ _Anyhow,_ what can we do for you today, Ress?” Cobb prompts. 

“Right! Well, y’see, it’s those darn scurriers, they’ve been getting into the grainstore again and I was wondering if you could spare a hand to come help us reseal the silo?”

“I could come out and help,” Bodhi offers, perhaps a little too quickly, relieved at the chance to do his part and take some of the load off of Cobb’s shoulders. 

“We’ll both come,” Cobb decides, and Bodhi realizes he really shouldn’t have expected otherwise. “Meet you out by the silo in a few, if you want to ask around Gido’s I can pay a fair wage to anyone else who wants in.”

“Sure thing, I’ll see you out there.”

Ress leaves and Cobb stands from his desk, gathering the tools they’ll need from the closet. Bodhi gets up too, refastening his boot where it’s come loose. As Bodhi straightens up, he catches Cobb looking at him, with more consternation etched in his features than Bodhi is used to.

“Did you not want me to come with you?” Bodhi asks, wondering if he’s somehow overstepped in the rush to help. 

“No, I mean, of course I don’t mind that, don’t be silly.” Cobb shakes his head. “It’s just...I was about to ask the same thing. Because, you know you don’t have to volunteer around town to get out of spending the day with boring old me. You could stay back at the homestead or hang around here while I go, long as you want.”

The absurdity of the notion feels stronger than it probably should, with Bodhi hating the idea that Cobb would consider himself as a hindrance to Bodhi’s happiness in any way.

“What I wanted was to go out in your stead to give _you_ a break, from work and from me. Since an old silo with a few overcurious settlers and scurriers is something I can actually handle… I thought it might be nice.” Bodhi clarifies, stepping closer to Cobb almost unconsciously as he does, appreciating the way that Cobb leans against the closet door and into Bodhi’s space. “But I know you won’t stay back now, will you?” 

“You know me pretty well,” Cobb replies easily, with far less tension crossing his features, clearly relieved to have misread Bodhi’s intent. “Sweet of you to offer, all the same.” 

“Part of my act, remember?” Bodhi teases and Cobb rolls his eyes.

“Glad to fall for it,” Cobb presses a repair torch from his kit into Bodhi’s hands, letting their fingers brush together for a moment longer than is strictly necessary. Bodhi takes a step back, the light feeling in his chest warm and lingering, tamping down the impulse to lean in instead. _Force._

With all his gear together, including the pack he hands over to Bodhi, they set out after Ress. When they arrive at the silo the breaches to it aren’t outwardly apparent, the repair necessary all the same if the scurriers are managing to get in. Cobb introduces him around to the pair of young women who have come out to help with the work, distributing tools and inspecting the metal sheeting Ress has already gathered. Anza and Zedi both seem nice, though it's apparent after a bit that the two young women are just as caught up in the gossip surrounding Cobb and Bodhi’s relationship as Ress had been. It seems benevolent enough, if the amused looks they keep shooting him and Cobb to go by. 

Bodhi finds himself not minding so much, too distracted by the work at hand to bother worrying. He crouches down with the repair torch to inspect the edges of the metal structure for faults, chit-chatting with Ress about when things had last been reinforced. Cobb works more closely with the pair, hammering out sheet metal alongside them so it will better fit to the silo. It’s only when Cobb comes over and grabs Bodhi’s hand, tugging him to work on the side opposite of the others that Bodhi pays any mind to Anza and Zedi’s laughter.

“Something wrong?” Bodhi asks Cobb, once they’re out of view of the others, taking a moment’s breather to lean back against the silo, wiping a bit of sweat from his forehead with the back of his sleeve. 

“Nothing,” Cobb says, reaching out for the repair torch, which Bodhi hands over without protest. Cobb kneels down in the sand, taking up the work again. “Just a lot of chatter from some people, you know. Thought it might be easier to focus if we just work together.”

“You know this won’t do anything to help their gossip, right? Taking me over here like there’s actually something sordid going on,” Bodhi says, laughing at the way Cobb’s brow furrows at the observation.

“At least try not to act so amused by it,” Cobb banters back, distracting himself with the work. “It’s _your_ shiny new reputation on the line here after all, you so sure you want to be damn near betrothed to me or whatever they’re all on about?”

“Think I’ll take my chances,” Bodhi says, tamping down a smile as he kneels down into the sand to join Cobb. Together they reinforce a few more pitted spots in the metal, with Bodhi occasionally going back to the other side to retrieve new sheeting. Over the course of a few hours they get a great deal of work in, with Cobb even eventually conceding to join the others again for the larger parts, despite their teasing. Walking round the silo and studying it alongside Ress until they both come to the conclusion that it ought to be secure enough with the work put in.

“We should probably wait and watch a bit, check if the creatures can manage to find a way in. They’re crafty little things.” 

“Bodhi and I will hang back a bit, see if any of them come out to explore. You all should head back, tell Gido your drinks are on me and I promise I’ll make good on that pay too.”

“Thanks marshal, that’s awfully kind of you. Bodhi too, you put in a lot of good work with those tools. I might call on you again if any projects come up, if you’re interested?”

“Sounds good to me, anytime.” 

“If the marshal can bear to let him out of his sight,” Zedi stage whispers to Anza, who at least has the sense to shush her friend. Bodhi winks in their direction, just to show he doesn’t mind, and perhaps to tease Cobb a bit more. 

“I’ll try to manage,” Cobb mutters, shooing them with his hands. “Now get outta here, unless you’d rather be the one looking out after the scurriers?”

“No thanks, marshal. We know you’ve got it covered,” Anza says, grabbing Zedi’s hand to tug the other girl back towards town before she can start anything else. Zedi waves over her shoulder and Bodhi returns it. With a final nod of farewell Ress follows after them towards the cantina. 

Once they’re gone, Bodhi feels more comfortable with unbuttoning the top clasps of his shirt, rolling up his sleeves for good measure as well to combat the heat. With just himself as Cobb, he feels less self-conscious to show his scars, the faint traces of burns still stretching up his arms from injuries long past. He and Cobb move a few paces back away from the silo to start their watch, hoping the creatures won’t be too skittish to get close and test out the group’s handiwork. Bodhi sits in the sand, gratefully accepting the waterskin Cobb passes his way. He takes a few long sips and hands it back, shading his eyes with one hand to study Cobb’s features where he stands, haloed by twin suns. When Cobb tips his head back to drink, the sunlight glints against his exposed neck, transfixing Bodhi for just a moment before he comes to his senses. 

“You going to join me down here?” Bodhi asks, kicking out with one foot to nudge at Cobb’s boot, earning him a smile that does nothing to diminish Bodhi’s quiet yearning. 

“Well, when you ask so nicely, how could I refuse?” Cobb sits down in the sand close by, leaning back onto his elbows in a relaxed position. Bodhi feels so calm, watching the easy way Cobb breathes, with nothing else in the world pressing them on to be anything other than what he is. For all the promises he’d made himself when he arrived on the planet, Bodhi is just starting to feel that might be possible for himself. Cobb is a large part of it, of course, larger than Bodhi will probably ever be able to express, something about him settling a loneliness Bodhi hadn't even recognized in himself before they met. It's not a matter of putting too much stock in just one person, but rather putting stock in the time they've spent together, trusting that no matter what's yet to come his life has been made better for it. It's a relief that makes it easier to breathe, satisfied by the day's hard work and Cobb's constancy.

Sitting and watching the grain silo for signs of activity, Bodhi feels well worn out by the day's work in the heat but at the same time utterly calmed by the fact. Thinking of the fuss such little creatures had warranted, Bodhi ducks his head, smiling to himself when a rare good memory of home suddenly reveals itself.

_It had to do with the scurriers, the scurriers and the sand and---_

“What’s on your mind, starshine?” Cobb asks, using the nickname that Bodhi might just let stick, just for the soft drawl of Cobb’s voice when he uses it. Rather than being frustrated at the interruption, Bodhi feels inspired by it, spurred on to share before he can lose the thought.

“I was thinking of home, a long time ago. We had a scurrier problem of our own back then, my mother and I. I must have only been six or seven but I remember this one time one got in the house and it was so small, my mother just couldn’t hurt it. She scooped it up in a bowl and I insisted that I go with her to let it free, to see that it found a new home like she was promising me. We went as far out from the house as we dared with the poor thing, down by one of the small city gardens near the temple and we set it loose. I talked my mother’s ear off the way home about it, asking if it would visit. After that, every time we found another scurrier in the house I was convinced it was the same one. For _years_ , and my mother just went along with it until I was old enough to realize the truth _._ Probably the closest thing to a pet I had, looking back.” 

Bodhi speaks more of the memory out loud than he even realized was intact, able to count on one hand the times he’s brought up his mother to anyone in the past five years. Only in rare moments, to the rest of Rogue One, those he trusted implicitly to understand. With the words out in the air between them, Bodhi can’t help but feel a bit self-conscious, for speaking so candidly about something that happened so long ago. 

“Heck, maybe it was the same stubborn scurrier, you never know,” Cobb teases gently. “Your mother sounds real kind-hearted.”

“She was,” Bodhi manages to say, despite the feelings stirred. He misses his mother still, no matter how long it's been. With people at his side, Jyn and Cassian in the past, and now with Cobb, not being alone still feels like the only thing left to keep the pain bearable. He knows better than to let himself dwell in it, aiming for more levity when he speaks again. “I haven’t thought about that in ages, sorry for rambling on. For the record, I don’t expect us to take any of the scurriers home with us.”

“Appreciate that,” Cobb says, nudging Bodhi’s knee gently with his own. “It’s a nice story, no need for apology.”

The way he says it, with the same earnest ease that seems to suit Cobb so naturally, makes Bodhi feel a little less vulnerable. More than that, it makes him wonder in return, what’s shaped the man into what he is. The same way Bodhi skirted around his own past, Cobb hadn’t delved into his own much either, both of them happy enough in the present to let it go for the time being. Still, after sharing something of his own, recognizing how good it feels, Bodhi can’t help wanting to offer that chance for Cobb too.

Not going how to go about it with more finesse, he blurts, “What about you?”

“Me and my family?” Cobb hums, intuitive enough to already understand what Bodhi means. “Nothing much to tell, not really. Been a long time for me too, since I thought about it...“ Cobb trails off for a beat, considering Bodhi carefully, sitting up to adjust his posture and better meet his gaze. “We didn’t have any scurriers in the house, that’s for certain, thanks to the old tooka cat my sister insisted on keeping, mean old thing scared em’ off more often than it actually caught them. That was before, well, before a lot of things.”

“I’m an only child,” Bodhi admits, “I don’t know what my mother would have done with more, but still, it must have been nice to have them growing up.”

“She and my younger brother got on my last nerve sometimes. But, it was nice for a while.” 

“Yeah?” Bodhi prompts, gently, leaving Cobb the chance to continue. Bodhi feels so unpracticed in this still, in getting to know someone from the ground up without the shared trauma of war spurring every conversation on in some way. For Cobb, he wants to try, to leave the door open for anything he might want to share.

“Bodhi, there’s an awful lot I could tell you, a lot that you’re probably wondering about how I wound up here with no family in sight. It’s a tired story, one I want to tell you more than anyone, but---”

Cobb’s assumption is understandable, proof of how poorly Bodhi must be going about this, barely thinking out his next words before he rushes to reassure Cobb. 

“Hey, none of that. You’re not obligated to tell me _anything_ , same way you’ve never asked me where I came from, or hell, even my last name that first week.” The comment earns Bodhi a slight smile from Cobb. “You can share when you’re ready, but only if it makes you feel good, alright? That’s the only way I want to hear any of it.”

Acting on the emotion caught in his chest, a mix of lingering worry and a need for connection, Bodhi reaches out, covering Cobb’s hand with his own where it rests between them in the sand. He watches Cobb’s expression shift, from angst to something softer, as he nods Bodhi’s way.

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Cobb musters another small smile, stretching his hand purposefully, giving Bodhi the chance to intertwine their fingers. Bodhi rubs his thumb along Cobb’s pinky, not shying away from the impulse to comfort, wishing he had the words to explain how much he relates. “That goes both ways,” Cobb adds quietly, and Bodhi smiles too, relief and fondness replacing his worries.

Out of the corner of his eye Bodhi spots movement, shifting his focus to their actual task, watching a pair of scurriers circle the silo. Cobb follows his gaze, turning to look on as they await an outcome. They both keep quiet, staying still not to startle the creatures. The scurriers linger for a few moments longer but neither find their way past the new barriers, seeming unperturbed by the fact when they decide to hop away.

“Looks like we did a good enough job. C’mon, let's get out of here.”

Cobb stands, shifting his grip on Bodhi’s hand as he stands to pull him up too. Bodhi can’t help swaying into his space a bit, pressing a brief kiss to Cobb’s cheek before he lets go, trying to act nonchalant about it as he takes a step backward. To his credit, Cobb looks flustered only for a beat, before his features smooth out into a familiar smile that is both assuring and beautiful. It stokes Bodhi’s affection even more, making his own skin go warm. 

“C’mon then,” Bodhi echoes Cobb’s suggestion, tipping his head back toward the settlement, fighting down the impulse to kiss Cobb properly right here and now. “Wouldn’t want Zedi and Anza to miss us at the cantina. However would they entertain themselves?”

“Course not, we couldn’t deprive them like that,” Cobb says sarcastically, rolling his eyes. Cobb falls in step with Bodhi easily, following him all the same. It’s a quick walk, with their hands brushing now and then, a quiet promise unspoken between them for another day.

**Author's Note:**

> There is still another 11k I have already written as more sequels for this... I have no idea how I did it.


End file.
